I'll Be
by syaoran no hime
Summary: chap4: renpiri. Pirika saved his life, but not wo something in return...that he becomes the guinea pig of her psychoanalysis projects.
1. Default Chapter

_This was supposed to be strictly Hao/Yoh/Anna, but someone emailed me, asking me to retain my other couplings. *syao bows* Your wish is my command!_

**Chapter 1**

Yoh Asakura lazily placed his headphones around his neck. He had yet again exhausted the batteries he bought yesterday for them, and there seemed to be no shop around for miles. He was asked by is grandmother Kino Asakura to fetch someone just outside the skirts of the town of Izumo. Apparently, the person he was going to go and get was someone from the Osorezan mountains, and was going to be the fiancée of his twin brother, Asakura Hao.

He grinned. He looked up to his brother, no question about it. There was something about his brother that could intimidate even the elders of the family. No one told him why, though, and he never bothered to ask. He admired his brother's coolness, his wit, and his wisdom too much to even doubt the demigod pedestal he had placed his brother on. He could also feel that his brother was quite fond of him, and in his twelve-year-old eyes, sees Hao as invincible and untouchable- a hero to worship. On the other hand, Hao dotes on him, and probably, the only one whom the onmyouji became close with.

Lately though, Hao wasn't around the house as often as he was. Perhaps it was connected to the matter his aniki was very obsessed about- the throne of the shaman king. For the past few months, Hao was taking his bid for the throne seriously, although for the life in him, he couldn't understand why. He, for one, was very much contented with his own spirit, Amidamaru, a former swordsman whom everyone wrongly thought was nothing but a bloodthirsty killer. The samurai spirit was his best friend, and it loved him back, and the bond between them, he would never exchange for anything, even for the Great Spirit, which some say was the source of the life of this world.

But then, it was Hao Asakura, and for Yoh, his aniki could do nothing wrong. If he wanted the Great Spirit, he would support his brother till the end.

"Master Yoh, how much farther do we have to travel?" asked Amidamaru, looking at the seemingly endless barren lands ahead of them.

"Grandmother told me that I should take the main road, but Horo Horo told me that this is a shortcut," he explained.

"And you believed him?" asked the spirit incredulously. To this, the boy nodded meekly.

"Let's just hope that Horo Horo is telling the truth this time," sighed the spirit. The Ainu was more than a joker; he was a personification of the boy who cried wolf in the story. There was only one person who could see through his jokes: the pink-haired Asakura trainee, Tamamura Tamao. How she could do that was beyond anyone's comprehension.

It was near evening when they reached the boundary of Izumo. Amidamaru sighed as Yoh plopped down the ground, exhausted. 

"We should take the main road when we walk home," suggested the power spirit, to which the shaman agreed wearily. He knew he should be annoyed because Horo was able to pull a trick on him yet again, but he was too tired.

"Aniki's fiancée must be really furious now," he said out of the blue. "I wonder what she looks like."

Amidamaru smiled. "Well, if she is to be a wife, then she must have been trained."

"Trained?" His forehead creased. "Just like geishas?"

"Yes. Perhaps she was trained to be soft-spoken, kind, timid, gentle, meek, submissive, and affectionate. She should be a good cook and an orderly housekeeper. Maybe your grandmother has decided that your brother was too driven, so he needed a sheath to calm the _katana_. That sheath would be his fiancée."

Yoh smiled. He can't wait to meet his sister-in-law already; he was sure he would like her a lot.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a sharp howl of a wolf, making Yoh's goosebumps rise.

"B-By any chance…it can't be a werewolf right?" asked Yoh uncertainly. "I mean, it's too early-"

"Master Yoh, all the houses are closed already!" The spirit pointed to the dark, shut houses not too far away. There wasn't even a soul outside walking in the streets. 

 The howl was followed another one, and Yoh began to perspire nervously.

"M-Maybe they are…well, afraid of the werewolf," he said.

"Are werewolves true? Aren't the just a legend in the Western tales?" asked the swordsman spirit.

"Those howls sounded too real to be just legends," said Yoh. "Maybe we should seek shelter into one of the houses. He ran to the nearest house and knocked on its window. "E-Excuse me, anyone in there? I need shelter tonight. Can you please let me in?"

"Go away!" yelled a voice. "We don't entertain strangers, especially at this time of the night!" he heard an angry voice yell, but he could also feel fear in the voice. He looked at Amidamaru, then ran to the next house.

But just like the first house, they refused to let him in, fearing that he was the much-dreaded werewolf that had been hunting their neighborhood since yesterday, when they found a corpse by the forest, internal organs gone.

Just when he was about to give up, he heard a door open. A young boy with emerald hair was looking at him, smiling. "Sorry about the folks here," he said, as if it was his fault that the attitude of the people in the neighborhood was like that. "Please come in."

"Are those werewolves true?" asked Yoh as the boy let him into his house.

The boy grinned. "Well, I don't know. But I do know that if you stay outside the chill of the night, you'll freeze." He offered his hand. "My name is Lyserg Diethyl, and I'm a detective."

"Huh? Hontou?" Yoh looked excited. "Do you have a case here? Do you know that guy…I think he lives in Scotland…Shocked Holmes?"

Lyserg chuckled. "I think it's Sherlock Holmes, and well, I'm from London, not Scotland."

"Hai!" He waved his hand dismissively. "So you have a case here?"

He paused. "Sort of. I'm taking care of an unsolved crime, and I think that the killer is here in Japan." He turned his back on Yoh, signaling that he didn't want to elaborate anymore on it. Yoh understood at once.

"Do you want some tea, mister-"

"You can call me Yoh," said the Asakura, his infectious grin on his face.

Lyserg's eyes crinkled into a smile- he just noted that the boy's smile was _infectious_, didn't he? The dowser felt that he immediately liked Yoh.  "Do you want tea then, Yoh?"

Their conversation was cut off when they suddenly heard men screaming and running, as if they were chasing something.

"What was that?" asked Yoh, frowning.

Lyserg shrugged. "Some random men who say that they are chasing after this werewolf."

Yoh's eyes widened. "So the werewolf is true after all!"

"Er-" Just then, they heard the men scream in unison. "Over there!"

"Is it me, or they entered the house next to ours?" said Yoh, sweatdropping.

Lyserg frowned. "You mean someone already lives in there?"

"Don't touch me!" screamed a female voice, catching the attention of the two. Both boys went out of the house and found men dragging a twelve-year-old girl out of the house. She was clad in black, and itako beads dangled around her neck.

Yoh frowned. "Hey, hey-" He was about to step forward to rescue the girl when she suddenly untangled herself from the men's grips and slapped one of them. 

"Oooh…" some of the people said.

That broke the rope of patience of the men. "You witch!"

Yoh suddenly stepped forward. "Hey, hey, maybe we can talk things through, you know?"

"Don't meddle here, stranger!" snapped the head of the men. "We saw the big black beast enter her house! She is the werewolf, we are very sure of that!"

"I must tell you to go easy on your words," said the girl with flaxen hair coolly. "If I tell you who I am, you might regret that you opened that big mouth of yours."

"Try me," said the man, smirking.

"My name is Kyouyama Anna, and I intend to be the wife of the shaman king," she said proudly. "I am the fiancée of the famous son of the clan of Asakura!"

The name Asakura triggered something in the mob. After all, it was the surname of the oldest and most mysterious family in Izumo, known for its Shamanic abilities.

But before the people could react, Yoh suddenly gasped. "My brother's fiancée is a werewolf!!! No way!!!" 

It was his turn to get slapped. "I am NOT a werewolf, you doofus! And how did I become your brother's fiancé?" she snapped.

"Y-You're talking about future shaman king Asakura Hao, my aniki, right?" he asked uncertainly.

Before she could reply, the mob cried, "You know this girl? Then you must be a werewolf too!"

"I am?" he asked, wide-eyed. "How come Father never told me that?"

Lyserg raised his hand. "Hey, everyone, let's settle down-"

"We must kill the two of them!" yelled the leader. "Before the moon becomes full!"

"Aye!" agreed the rest of the crowd.

Lyserg panicked. The mob is getting dangerously excited, and if he doesn't act soon, his friend would be in big, big trouble. "Townmates, we're not even sure if they really are werewolves! Let's quiet down first and talk about it over tea and biscuits-"

"What does a stranger like you know?" asked one of the men mockingly. "Do not stick your nose into our business or we might include you in our enemy's list."

"Die werewolf!" yelled another man, aiming his katana at the headphoned boy.

"I don't wanna die yet!" protested Yoh. "I'm too young! Plus I haven't finished watching Doraemon yet and-"

The mob froze.

"You haven't?" the leader asked after quite awhile, frowning.

Yoh nodded somberly. "It's my favorite show ever since I was child. My brother and I watch it together before."

The man sighed. "Oh alright. My son and daughter watches it too so…"

"You'll spare their lives?" asked Lyserg eagerly.

"I suppose…but if another death happens, my men and I will hunt you three down." The man turned his back on Yoh. "Never mess with an Ainu."

"That was a pretty close call," said Lyserg as he poured some tea for Yoh and Anna. "It was a good thing that you were able to think of an alibi like that."

"Think?" The boy's face was blank, and the dowser realized that the word was foreign in his vocabulary.

The girl had pretty much the same opinion. "I knew it. He didn't think of that by chance."

Yoh looked dumbfounded. "But I really do watch Doraemon! It's very educational."

"Oh, very well." Lyserg chuckled once more. He liked Yoh's candidness a lot.

Anna looked at the boy, eyes narrowed. "Now tell me, are you really the brother of my fiancé?"

"Well, I was sent by my grandmother to pick up an Osorezan girl that my brother is bound to marry."

She looked at him intently, then placed her cup of tea down. "I'm from the Osorezan mountains," she said.

Yoh's eyes lit up. "Great!" He held his hand up in greeting. "I'm Yoh Asakura, and I will be your brother-in-law. It's cool to meet you!"

Her bored eyes didn't even show a flash of interest in meeting him. Instead, she stood up gracefully. "Then we better hurry back to your home. I still have to meet my fiancé."

"Okie-dokie." Yoh didn't even look bothered by her coldness. He turned to Lyserg and bowed gratefully. "Arigatou once more for the hospitality and for sticking out for me and my sister-in-law."

The dowser smiled. "It's nothing. If you have some time, you can always come back here and visit me, you know."

"I'll keep that in mind." Yoh grinned once more before following the itako out of the house. "Hey Anna wait up! What if a werewolf attacks us while we're walking-"

"If that werewolf's brain is larger than yours, I'm sure he would think twice before crossing my path," she snapped.

"Uh, ok, if you say so, Anna."

Lyserg was just about to lock his door when fists banged on the door. The first thought that entered his mind was that it might be a thief, but before he could pull his dowsing tool out, the door swung.

The next thing he knew, a gun was aimed at him. The stranger holding the pistol was wearing a fisherman's cap, and was clad in baggy trousers and long-sleeved sweater which seemed inappropriate for the current weather.

His green alert eyes spotted some stray silver wisps of hair peeking out of the hat. It was strange, especially when the moustache on the person's face was dark.

"What a strange man," he thought. "I wonder what is his problem."

He blinked when the person gestured for him to sit down and raise his arms towards the ceiling. He didn't know why, but he found himself obeying the stranger, not even thinking of taking his own gun in his pocket or even summoning Morphine.

The armed stranger went to him and inspected his body. He watched as his gun and his swiss knife was thrown onto the floor. Once more, concern didn't dawn in him; he was still fascinated for some reason about the unspeaking trespasser. Not to mention that those red orbs beneath the hat were strikingly beautiful, especially when up close…

Satisfied, the stranger was about to step back when he spoke up. "What's your name?"

The intruder frowned, then whipped out a pen and a piece of paper from his writing desk. He watched the person write furiously, then was shown a hastily-scribbled note.

I am mute, and I am a thief. My name is John. I will stay in here for tonight.

He grinned. "No problem, John. It is kind of lonely to live here all by myself. A company for the night will be lovely." He placed his arms down. "Have you eaten already?"

The person looked at him suspiciously. He smiled. "No, John. I won't poison you, if that is what you're afraid of. I may not exactly be devout, but I'm basically a God-fearing person. I respect the Ten Commandments."

He spotted something flicker in those red orbs, and the detective in him was telling him that John might just be someone else other than a thief.

"Well, it's about time that you arrive," said Kino Asakura when she saw Yoh walking sheepishly behind a girl clad in black mini-dress and red bandanna.

"Is aniki here already?" asked Yoh excitedly.

"No, he isn't." Kino turned to the itako. "Kyouyama Anna, I presume?"

The girl bowed politely.

"Come with me. We have a lot of things to talk about." With that, Kino turned her back on them already.

Anna took her slippers off as Yoh watched awkwardly. "Er, Anna, don't you want to get a drink first or something?"

She looked at him, then shrugged. "Mind your own business." She continued onto the hallway, leaving Yoh sweatdropping.

Amidamaru, who was floating beside him, rubbed his cheek. "Soft-spoken, kind, timid, gentle, meek, submissive and affectionate…I don't think she is any of those I've said."

"Far from it," agreed Yoh. "Ah, but I'm sure Aniki could take care of her temper." He looked up at the night sky and sighed. "I wonder when will Aniki return. I can't wait to tell him about those people who almost made me believe that I am a werewolf."

Amidamaru laughed.

"Whew! For a while back there, I thought I was just an adopted son or something…that my mother was a wolf or something," said Yoh, grinning. He placed his headphones back to his ears and hummed along with the music powered by the dying battery of his walkman.

**tsuzuku**


	2. 2

Lyserg observed John for some more moments; the latter looked famished, but he still had the grace to remember his table manners. Even the way his jaw moved to chew on the food delicately radiated with finesse. It was really puzzling him how a young man as refined as him became a thief.

Despite himself, he felt a surge of sympathy for the stranger. Even though he didn't know what John could have went through, there was this certain aura in him that was making him feel comfortable. Oh yeah, and those captivating scarlet eyes…  
He blinked when John suddenly stopped from eating and reached for the pad of paper beside him. He scribbled hastily, "Why do you keep on looking at me?"

Lyserg had to smile. "It's your eyes."

He jotted a reply. _What about my eyes?_

The dowser shook his head smilingly. "Your eyes remind me of a porcelain doll's…please don't be offended. Your eyes are lovelier than those I see in magazines."

He scowled. _Stop looking at me._

Lyserg nodded, then got up. John instantly looked alerted, the Londoner noticed.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to lock the doors for tonight. I have this feeling that you're hiding from something or someone. And while you are in my residence, your welfare is my business too."

John looked down and wrote something. _I have no money to pay for your help._

Lyserg smiled. "No, I won't help you out for money. I'm going to help you because I am concerned about you."

John still looked skeptical, but he nodded.

"Just finish your dinner and get a good night rest. We'll discuss your plight tomorrow, John." He pointed to his room. "You occupy my room too, because my unit is really for one person only. Let's just try to maximize the space in the room."

John nodded, then accepted his wave of goodnight.

Jeanne sighed, relieved that all throughout the masquerade, the green-eyed boy didn't press for details. She still wasn't ready to answer his queries for sure anyway.

She took out her crystal rosary from underneath her shirt and prayed quietly. "Merciful Lord, please deliver me from harm. I trust in You. I know that You have led me to a man with compassion, and I thank you for that. Please do not fail to watch over Marco and the rest of the X-Laws."

Lyserg watched from the top of the stairs, amused. This had got to be a first: a thief carrying a rosary.

But somehow, watching John pray solemnly, he couldn't help but admire the serenity within him. The dowser himself had almost forgotten that a God existed, ever since his parents were murdered heartlessly back when he was still a child.

He ran his eyes on the tiny figure below him. If not for the moustache, he would have guessed that the thief was just a year or two younger than him. However, John had explained that his stature was really small.

He gave one last glance at the praying stranger, then went into his room, followed by Morphine.

"Onii-chan!!!" screamed Pirika as she trudged through the forest. "You can run but you can't hide!!! I'll find you yet, mark my words!!! Your training isn't done yet!!!!!! Onii-chan!!!!!!"

She sighed- her brother was fourteen years old already, and he still acts ten years his junior. Her demented brother escaped her special training once more, as if he didn't know that she could still find him wherever he may hide.

She looked at the setting sun and realized that she wasn't able to watch Doraemon. This made her anger flame some more. "Onii-chan, I HATE YOU!!!"

She had been walking for more than an hour already when she heard some voices talking.

"I think he's dead," said one voice.

"Let's leave him here already," said another one.

And as quickly as she heard the voices, the footsteps began to hurry away.

Curiously, Pirika stepped quietly towards where she heard the voice. To her puzzlement, she didn't see anyone around.

"Could have it been my imagination?" she wondered as she walked around. "But I swear I heard- oof!" She stumbled over something warm.

"Itai!!! It hurts!!!" she tried to get up when she felt that something beneath her moved. Her eyes widened when she saw that she was lying on top of a sleeping boy with dark blue almost purple hair. She got up quickly. "H-Hey, gomen! I wasn't looking at where I was going. I'm so sorry! Why are you sleeping there anyway?"

He didn't reply, and it was then that she noticed the severe wounds and bruises all over his body. Her eyes widened in fright. This must be the person that those two voices left for dead awhile ago!

She slapped his face several times, trying to wake him up, but to no avail. She had no choice but to assist him herself. She placed his arm behind her neck, her other arm supporting his waist. It was easier than she thought- his diminutive height and general lightness helped a lot.

"Onii-chan, you're lucky. I won't be chasing you today." Pirika struggled to walk the unconscious body back to their tribe.

"Wu-hoo!!!" yelled Horo Horo in delight. "I'm free! I'm free!!!" He hugged Kororo gleefully. "I can't hear my sister's voice calling me anymore!!!"

The earth spirit cooed happily too.

Horo took his snowboard out. "To celebrate, let's go to the town of Izumo and grab some grub. Yahahahaha!!! No trainings for me today!!! I feel the love!!!"

Kororo groaned and pointed to the sky. It was already dark, and it was too dangerous to go for a stroll in the woods at night.

Horo grinned. "We won't be gone for too long. We'll just grab a chili dog and we go home, deal?" Without waiting for his spirit's reply, he rode on his snowboard and zoomed down and out of the mountains.

Tamao was just taking the muffins out of the oven when she heard something –or someone- crash against the wall.

"Hey Horo Horo, what sort of catastrophe brought you here?" she greeted wanly when she heard the door open.

The Ainu grinned. "Gastronomical catastrophe, Tamao."

"Your timing is perfect as usual," she said wryly. "Do you have built-in alarms for these type of situations?"

"It's my biological make-up," he explained as he took a seat beside her. "It is naturally attracted to anything edible. Food is my destiny."

"Hai." She sighed. "Careful, Horo Horo. It's still hot-" She sighed once more in exasperation when Horo cried out in pain, withdrawing his hand from the just baked muffins. "You're being an idiot purposefully."

Horo Horo pretended to look wounded. "That's not very nice." He rubbed his throat. "I'm thirsty."

Tamao got up to get him a pitcher of juice, although she knew it wouldn't be enough for the appetite of the Ainu. "By the way, Horo Horo, you can get your shirt now. I've sewn it for you already."

"Thanks, Tamao." He eagerly reached for the pitcher of pineapple juice in her hands.

The girl watched him drink straight from the pitcher with much gusto. She had barely noticed the years that went by since their first meeting. It was when Yoh was just eight, and he was on the verge of falling from the cliff then. It was only her who was accompanying young master Yoh then, and she was frozen stiff, not knowing how to help him out. It was then when a snowboarding boy with crazy spiky hair rescued Yoh without even breaking so much a sweat. She could still remember how he helped Yoh down from the snowboard, grinning, after he introduced himself.

_**_

_"There! I've rescued him!" Horo Horo held his hand out. "Now pay me."_

_Both she and Yoh blinked._

_"Well?" asked the boy, shaking his fingers impatiently._

_Yoh sweatdropped. "W-We don't have money to pay…"_

_She placed her hands on her hips. "Look, isn't it enough that we owe you a huge debt of gratitude?"_

_Horo chuckled. "A huge debt of gratitude can't satisfy hunger."_

_Yoh grinned. "I know! From now on, you're welcome to go to our house in Izumo and eat there to your heart's content whenever you want to!"_

_Horo Horo's face lit up. "H-Hontou?"_

_Yoh turned to the girl. "And you'll be in charge of cooking for him!"_

_Tamao wanted to protest, but she was serving Yoh and his family. She had no right to say 'no', even if she finds the boy too impertinent. For pete's sake, he didn't even had the grace to be modest and refuse Yoh's offer, and just accept it when Yoh insists on it!_

_**_

"I see you're remembering it again," smiled Horo Horo when he caught her staring off to space.

"Yes. You haven't changed at all since then." She smiled, shaking her head. "You're still cheeky."

Horo shrugged. "And your cooking is still great! Enough to make a man forget the thought of philandering and just go home straight to his wife."

She smiled- he may be cocky, but he sure knew how to flatter very well. "Thanks Horo Horo." She pushed another batch of muffins into the oven. "Just keep on eating, Horo. More muffins are on the way."

Horo grinned. "Tamao, I am _so_ going to marry you someday. I don't think I can live without these." He took a big bite of the muffins. "Yummy!"

Jeanne looked awkwardly at the door before her. In her escape from the convent, she had done so many outrageous things like stow away in a ship and wander in the streets escortless. She had endured almost two days of hunger and hygieneless living.

But to sleep in one room with a man?

She clutched her rosary, then tried to pacify her fears. Lyserg Diethyl was a most honorable man, she knew that. Besides, he knew she was a male, so she shouldn't be so worried.

But no, she wasn't really worried about Lyserg. She was more worried about herself, actually. She didn't know how she would react- male was a forbidden thought for her, because Marco and the X-Laws reared her like that. No male aside from them was able to talk to her yet, and she was always surrounded by nuns.

She fixed her cap once more and nervously raised her fist towards the door.

Then it swung open. She nearly screamed- which could have ruined her whole masquerade. She was supposed to be mute!

Lyserg looked at her, puzzled. "John," he said gently. "Why don't you come in yet?"

She licked her lips nervously, then nodded. She stepped into his room, then looked around. It was more like a library though, with books and folders strewn all over the place. A laptop was on the desk too.

"No, you won't find anything valuable to steal here, John," said Lyserg wryly.

She shook her head vehemently and held herself back from screaming in negation. No one had ever thought of her able to commit such sins and being thought of one right now was doing wonders on making her feel so sick.

Lyserg quickly noticed the change in her. "Sorry."

She blinked. Why was he saying sorry for saying something like that to a thief?

He gestured to the bed. "There's only one bed, so I hope you don't mind if we share-" One look at her though made him sigh. "OK, you do mind."

Her head hung. If she kept on being choosy, he might just guess that she was just pretending. She smiled apologetically at him, then pulled him down the bed with him, as if telling him it was alright.

She didn't expect though the intent gaze he was giving her. She panicked. What was it that she was doing wrong? She was being agreeable to him, right? So why was he starting to look as if he doubts her?

Lyserg kicked himself mentally. What the hell was wrong with his stupid heart? When John smiled at him, he felt his heart skip a beat. When he touched him, his heart danced.

"God…am I…gay?" Lyserg wanted to bang his head on the wall. Instead, he mustered a casual smile. "Let's sleep."

Was it just his imagination, or did he saw John blush? He couldn't tell though, because the stranger quickly lied down, blanket tucked over his head.

"You're going to sleep already, won't you?" he couldn't resist asking. "Why don't you take your hat off?"

All he got was a vehement shake of the head. He shrugged. "OK, if you say so."

He lied down, looking at the ceiling, wondering if he could ever get to sleep at all, now that he realized that he was getting, ahem, _interested_ with John.

**tsuzuku**

whaahhaaha!! No Hao/Anna/Yoh in this chapter? Gomen, I cut the chapter short but I'm still off to school! Wai wai, just 12 more days to endure and it's sem break for me!!!!


	3. IMPORTANT ANOUNCEMENT

Announcement:

Due to my bothersome writer's block, I have decided to put off the Hao/Anna/Yoh angle of this fic for the meantime. I will first work out the angles of the other non-canon couples.

Those who read Wanted too might have noticed that that last chapter wasn't put up yet. It's my writer's block's fault too. I'm really trying to do my best to get rid of it, and as much as possible, I try to do an everyday update on all my ongoing fic projects.

Wanted: Perfect Husband, Must Be a Shaman King is officially on hiatus, but the two Promises fics will continue. Gomen nasai, but you guys should know that this hurts me the most too. I'm so used to coming up with plots but lately the stress of my finals has gotten into me.

Hope you guys don't mind waiting.

-- very, very apologetic Syaoran no hime. 


	4. 3

Lyserg was going over his emails that morning when he received an instant message from one of his friends.

It was another case, something about a missing heiress. He sighed, this wasn't the kind of case he hopes to encounter. In the first place, he didn't like accepting cases that involve women- they were plain bothersome anyway.

He downloaded the attached picture and read the details.

Jeanne raked her fingers on her wild tresses before tying them into a ponytail. She placed her bonnet over her head once more before placing her moustache back under her nose.

She yearned for her personal maid who brushes her long hair for her, but decided that she couldn't do anything about it. She was far away from France already, far from the scandal she left. Far from Marco, even.

Lyserg rolled his eyes. The detailed case could have jumped right out of a soap opera. An heiress who was orphaned and is now being forced to marry her guardian, but chose to run away instead.

He sipped his drink. The guardian, who called himself Marco, wanted to talk to him personally because he was the lone detective in their agency that was currently in Japan, where he suspects the heiress went.

Jeanne splashed some water on her face. "I want to be a nun. I want to lead the X-Laws. Why can't Marco understand that?"

Part of her wanted to blame the convent where she hid. For after all those months of keeping her from the outside world, the mother superior finally relented and told her guardian where she was staying.

Fortunately for her, a friend, also a novice nun like her, told her that. She had barely managed to escape to a ship heading outside France.

"I don't want to be a wife of someone old enough to be my father. I want to be a nun, and I want to help the X-Laws with their job of protecting the ordinary people from abusive and wicked shamans," she told the mirror.

She believed in shamans, for she too, was a shaman herself. But once again, Marco refuses to see things her way. She knew that he was just indulging her when he announced that he too, would join the X-Laws.

"He was a fine guardian and an adviser to my father. But no, he can't be my husband. Never. I'm going to be a nun," she told her reflection.

Now if only Marco could understand that the way her reflection was doing now.

After making sure that her appearance as John was back, she went out of the room.

Lyserg was about to email his comrade, saying that he refuses the assignment because he was on vacation, when he saw that the picture had finished its downloading.

He opened the picture and found himself staring at the loveliest scarlet-eyed wonder in the world.

He suddenly heard a door shut a bit too loudly. He turned around and saw John looking at the picture on the screen of his laptop too.

He blinked twice. Those scarlet eyes…

Wait a minute…

Jeanne was shocked- her picture was online, and Lyserg was looking at it. Could it be possible that Marco was in cahoots with him?

But Lyserg quietly turned his back on her and began to type something on the screen. It was an email, stating that he couldn't possibly take the assignment. He was on vacation and could not be bothered.

"I'm a detective," said Lyserg out of the blue. "They were asking me to look for a girl."

She stiffened. He knew! And he was a detective! She could have crumpled to the floor, but she knew she couldn't afford to do that right now. She must act sensibly and try to bargain with him to let her stay here.

She had a sizable inheritance, and she was more than willing to give it all up just to be away from Marco and the idea of marrying him.

But the boy has spoken once more. "It's funny, actually," he said smoothly. "Apparently, the heiress is only eight or nine, and the man looking for her, Marco, was in his late twenties already." He turned to her, smiling. "If I do find Jeanne, I will never give her back to that man. She's too innocently beautiful for him."

Oh! She felt her heart jump. Lyserg thinks that way about her?

He stood up and turned his computer off. "Ah, very well. Ohayou, John! What do you want for breakfast?"

She shrugged smilingly.

"Silly me! You're mute!" he chuckled. "I hope doughnuts are fine."

She nodded enthusiastically, all the while thanking God for this miracle called Lyserg Diethyl.

"Aw damn it, my head! Damn, it hurts!" muttered Ren as he tried to rub his splitting head muscles.

"Hey, don't say profanities in the house!" said a high-pitched female voice, nearly sending Ren gritting his teeth.

A girl with long blue hair was staring at him with disapproval. Her cerulean eyes scanned his whole figure, then back at his face.

He didn't like the measuring gaze, so he snapped at her. "What the hell are you looking at?"

Her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Nothing."

"Hell! Do I look like a 'nothing'?" he yelled.

"You said it, not me," she laughed. "But don't worry, you're a bit tall to be called nothing." Her eyes gave one last glance at his diminutive stature.

"Who the hell are you?" he barked.

"I'm Pirika, and you shouldn't speak to me that way, Mr. Anti-Christ!" 

"Anti-Christ?!" He looked at her in disbelief. "Why the hell did I become an Anti-Christ?!" 

"Because everytime you speak, you say 'hell'." Pirika sighed. "You have a big problem with your _id_, eh?"

"Huh?! Id? What the hell-" Ren paused. "-in heaven's name is that?" There. Just so he wouldn't be noticed unpleasantly again by this girl who dares to practically call him a Satanist.

"It's the concealed, inaccessible part of the psyche, seated in the unconscious, independent of a sense of reality, logic, and morality, but actuated by fundamental impulses towards fulfilling instinctual needs," explained Pirika, as if she was talking to a three-year-old autistic. "It is also the reservoir of psychic energy or libido."

And Ren Tao said, "What?"

Pirika smiled sweetly. "It's where you keep urges." She gave him a kinky wink.

"Shit," was all Ren could say.

Pirika decided not to say anything more. If this stranger wishes to mutter profane things, who was she to repress these craving? She didn't want to be responsible for his psychoneurosis.

"Why are you mentioning those libido things?" he asked when he finally quenched his thirst of vulgar language.

Her eyes danced. "Amazing. Out of all the words I said, the first thing your memory was able to retrieve was the word 'libido'. Do you know that it speaks volumes about your personality?"

His face flamed, partly because he couldn't believe that the girl was making him feel this stupid with such ease, and partly, because he was allowing her to do it. "Are you saying that I'm a sex maniac?" he demanded.

"You said it, not me," she said again.

"Shit!" 

"I psychoanalyze people. My hobby," said the girl, shrugging. "You know what, awhile ago, I was starting to regret saving your life. But right now, I'm grateful that I fed my psyche's primitive urge to help a waif like you."

"Gee thanks," he said dryly. He knew what a waif was, and it was enough for him to know that what she said awhile ago was not…flattering.

"You'll make a great specimen for my psychological experiments!" she said cheerfully.

"Shit!"

"You better not let my onii-chan hear that," she said. "I can tolerate it, but not everyone is as open-minded as me. Not everyone's a psychologist like me."

"Thank God for that," he spat out. "The problem with you is you're too open-minded, that's why your brains slid out."

She laughed merrily. "Perhaps. I will look into that theory later on."

"Shit!" He had to get out of this place. He was going to be a guinea pig for a shrink wannabe, which was more dangerous than your average shrink.

"And I like you too," she replied, eyes dancing.

He had to pause. The shrink wannabe's eyes were very lovely, he had to admit.

He shook his head. He must get out of here- for all he knew, he was using those exquisite azure orbs to hypnotize him and put him under a trance. Then the next thing he knew, she was operating on him and his libido.

"Shit!" Not that word again! He was never that aware of that damn word until today. All no thanks to this girl…this crazy lunatic with hypnotizing blue eyes who said that she saved his life…and that he was a sex maniac…and that he was inches larger than nothing.

Horo Horo arrived in his tribe finally, both he and his stomach happy. He had been eating for hours that he didn't notice the time, so Tamao asked him to stay in the house and sleep there. He was only too happy to oblige. The Asakura refrigerator was magical- it never runs out of food stock. His midnight dinner and breakfast had, in fact, only an hour interval.

He made a mental note to bring Tamao some flowers tomorrow. Not that he was courting her. No, of course not. He just liked seeing the way her eyes light up when she sees her favorite flowers.

It's the least I can do for all her hard work in cooking those delicious food… 

"Horo Horo, your sister was looking for you," said the leader of the tribe, smiling wickedly. He was seated by the now dead campfire. "You're in for it. She wasn't able to watch Doraemon because of you. She's been looking for you since yesterday."

He winced. He could play his sister's wrath by the ear usually. But her missing her favorite anime was no usual thing…

"Fortunately, she found someone to distract her. A kid she picked up unconscious," continued the man.

Horo smirked. His sister, aside from being a brutal sister and an even more brutal Doraemon fanatic, was a brutal psycho. He was betting his snowboard that right now, she was victimizing the poor kid with her shrink questions.

"How old is the kid?" he asked, joining the leader of the tribe.

"Gee, I can't tell. He looks like a nine year old brat. Can't tell…based on his size though, I'll say he's eight or nine."

Horo grinned. "Perfect." His sister would be too distracted to even think of noticing his presence. He looked at the man. "By the way, did you catch the werewolf?"

The man groaned, then went on to narrate that they found a suspect, but the girl was saved by a laidback-looking thirteen-year-old named Asakura Yoh…

Horo choked. "Yoh?! Yoh saved a girl?!" He started to laugh insanely. "But Yoh is scared of women! He thinks they're…they're…all like his grandma!"

"You know him?" asked the man, amused. "It's a good thing then that we didn't decide to burn him down a stake."

"Actually, he's going to fetch his brother's fiancée. The girl must be the one his grandma told him to fetch."

The man looked embarrassed. "If you see your friend, please extend to him the inconvenience we caused him. And to his brother's fiancée too."

"Will do!" Horo stretched. "Better check on my sister and the poor kid. She might start asking the poor guy some killer questions-"

"Your shirt looks new," commented the man.

He grinned. "Yup, Tamao just mended it."

"Looks great on you."

"Any shirt looks great on me."

The man winked. "You know what I mean."

"I don't, actually. I'm clueless." Horo groaned.

"You'll figure it out on your own…all in good time."

"What-e-ver," sighed Horo, then went back to his shack. 

**tsuzuku**


	5. 4

"Hey onii-chan! Why didn't you sleep here last night?" asked Pirika cheerfully when Horo Horo entered the shack.

The boy paused, debating whether this was just another trap laid down by his psychotic sister. In the end, he decided that his sister might not go as far as homicide…yet. He would have just to tell her that yesterday's Doraemon episode was a replay only.

"I slept in Yoh's house," he replied at last.

She paused from rinsing the glasses in the sink. "You mean, you _ate_ in Yoh's house."

He grinned sheepishly. "I forgot to bring home anything for you."

"You ate all of it," she stated that as a fact, something that all he could do is to rub his head. He was about to apologize when she continued speaking. "Fortunately, I have a cook. He made my dinner."

"A cook? You taught Kororo to cook?!" He was shocked. For all he knew, his crazy sister had psycho-maneuvered the spirit to do so.

"No. He's a human," she said.

"The kid you picked up in the forest?" he asked, looking around for a sweet and innocent-looking seven-year-old boy.

"Hey Pirika, I've washed the rice grains twice already, as you ordered!" said a male voice, coming from the yard. "Now can I rest?"

Pirika sighed, tossed her glossy hair behind her shoulders, then marched towards the backyard. Horo curiously followed his sister outside.

Only to see a boy with spiky dark, almost purple hair, crouched by the well, washing the grains of rice.

"Go start a fire so we can start cooking the rice already," she instructed him. Horo watched as the boy stood up. His face soured in dismay when he realized that the face of this piece of dark-haired flesh was not that of the seven-year-old kid that he was expecting. And within him was a growing gnawing feeling that this boy was older than a seven-year-old brat.

And this guy slept with Pirika last night, with only the two of them under this roof?!!

Ren looked pretty surprised too when he saw the blue-haired boy looking down at him in disdain. This must be the brother of the shrink. Pirika gave him an oral delivery of this guy's biography last night when he was bored and he couldn't sleep. He was insomniac, and he couldn't sleep without his daily dose of warm milk, but in the end, Pirika managed to put him to sleep still with her endless chatter.

"Onii-chan, this is Ren Tao. Ren, my brother." Pirika's brow rose when she saw that both were staring at each other challengingly. She sighed – she was hoping for sparks between her newfound guinea pig and her brother, but she got more than a spark. They were looking at each other with _blazing_ displeasure.

She groaned. She read that humans are probably the only species of animal that doesn't have an internal inhibition against slaughtering other members of the species. And if she wouldn't interfere now, she had this sinking feeling that she might be able to see a live demo of that theory. "Ren, um, I think you better get started on the fire…"

Tense silence followed. It was obvious that the men didn't like each other.

"Pi_ri_ka," Horo spoke first, teeth gritted. "You're not Snow White, so what is a dwarf doing here with you?"

She shrugged. "I saved him, onii-chan."

"Yes, but we don't need a freeloader here!"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Hah! It was your sister who forced me to stay here, you know. She said that because she saved my life, the least I could do to show my gratitude was to stay here and let her finish her psychoanalysis project on me."

"You let her _force_ you?!" Horo snorted.

Ren's face flamed. "Your sister is a shrink! How can I defend myself from someone who uses mental manipulation?"

"You mean there is something she could manipulate with the size of that hollow thing upon your shoulders that you dare call a 'head'?!" Horo Horo smirked.

The Tao clenched his fists. "Why you-"

"Hey, hey! Stop acting like mentally-deranged people!" she said, holding her hand up. "Onii-chan, Ren will stay here, since you don't want to be the subject of my projects. Unless of course, _you want to take his place._"

"What?!" Of course, it was like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. But really now, between having a freeloader in the house and having someone ask you constantly on what a certain inkblot means…well, it was quite easier to choose the _lesser_ evil.

"Fine! He can stay here. But he has to work to compensate for the dinner and lodging we will give him," decided Horo Horo.

Ren snorted. "I won't exactly call this the best lodging."

Pirika beamed. "Thanks, Onii-chan. Don't worry, Ren will work for us while he's under my observation. I'm already beginning to acquaint him with the household chores."

Horo glared at the boy, then shrugged. "I'm going to sleep. Make sure that what he cooks is edible." He then walked back into the shack.

Ren groaned audibly. The whole circumstance that he was in was absurd. He, the great warrior Ren Tao, was being used as a guinea pig by a psycho, and was being used as a maid at the same time. Once his father hears about what happened to him, he was sure that En Tao would forever banish him from the clan.

But then, this was also serving him another purpose. He could recuperate here and buy time for himself as he awaits what the next move of his assassins would do. As the future head of the Tao clan, many wishes to eliminate him, thinking he was too young for it.

"Ren?"

He blinked, then looked up. Pirika was peering down at him worriedly, bent over his seated figure.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked. "It seems like you're remembering something-"

He didn't like what her concern was doing to him- it was sending him to confusion. "No. Just leave me alone and I'll cook the rice." He then realized from the look on her face that it was the wrong answer.

"Uh-uh." She knelt down beside him. "Do you know that repressing those thoughts you deem unfit for your standards can cause you a serious problem like obsessive-compulsive mental disorder?"

"Wow, I didn't know that," he said sarcastically.

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding solemnly. "You know, I can help. Maybe you-"

"No, thank you! Leave and let me be!" He rolled his eyes and decided to use another tactic. "I'm fine, alright? My father's an assassin, and he hates me. He uses my body as a punching bag when he's in a foul mood. My mother is a wacko, and she likes to feed me hydrogen peroxide for breakfast. The only normal person in the family is my sister, and even then, she's fond of corpses. We're your average family, you see. There, do I still need to be interrogated, Doc?" He said sarcastically before he shifted his attention back to the fire he was building.

To his surprise, Pirika merely smiled. "OK, I'll ask again tonight. There's an element of truth in what you said, I can feel."

He snorted. He should have known.

He placed the pot of washed rice over the fire and covered it. Pirika still hadn't left his side.

"What else do you want?" he asked when she didn't make a move to get up. "Don't tell me you're trying to sense my aura or something."

"Um, actually, I'm trying to sense what kind of shampoo do you use," she admitted, laughing. "Hmm, very nice."

He nearly choked. His shampoo? This shrink was _impossible!_

"It's aloe vera," he said at last.

"Ah, I'm not very good with botany, gomen nasai," she apologized. "Next time, will you pick some for me too? I want to try natural shampoo on my hair."

"It's great as it is," he said absentmindedly.

"It?"

"Your hair. It's fine," he said.

"You think so, huh?" She looked amused.

He glared at her. He was just trying to be civil to her, why did she have to laugh at his efforts?

But her hair was fine, really. In fact, it looked kind of nice to run his hand on the soft-looking strands…

"Shit!" Ren stood up at once. Was that another psychological trick that the shrink set up for him?

"What's wrong now?" she asked, genuinely bewildered.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm fine, your hair's fine…" He realized what he said, and he nearly kicked himself for it. "Oh shit," he muttered instead.

Pirika self-consciously touched her hair, then smiled up at him. She grabbed his hand before he could react, and placed it on her scalp. "There. Do it. Don't stop yourself from doing it."

Her crown was silky-smooth, something new to his calloused palms used to holding only his weapon. And the strange sensation warming him was alarming him. He abruptly pulled away. "Go in, Pirika. Don't disturb me with useless things." He turned his attention back to the rice.

She looked at him, then smiled. "I'll talk to you tonight." She went back into the house, leaving Ren sighing and muttering curses over and over.

Pirika was about to sit down the floor and get started on reading her Psychology books again when she noticed her brother snoring outside, under the shade of a tree. She got up and placed a blanket on him, then decided that she would just continue to read outside too.

She had always wanted to go to school, ever since she had a brief taste of academics a year back, when a short-lived literacy program was launched in their area. But what perked up her interest was what one of her teachers said: that people can study how other people's minds work. She wanted to do that too, and so the kind teacher sent her pamphlets about psychology. Little by little, her interest grew, until she herself went down to the foot of the mountains just to borrow Psychology books from the library. Her Ainu mind wasn't made sharp for nothing. She was able to grasp the concepts behind the human mind after a few times of reading and re-reading, and she discovered that some of the theories discussed in the books truly apply to the people around her.

She would be happier though if she could pursue a college degree on psychology, but then, that would be asking for too much. She was simply thankful that she and her brother manage to get by everyday ever since they were orphaned early in childhood, and was parented instead by the entire tribe they belong to.

The women in the tribe also insist that instead of pursuing education, she should just learn how to be a homemaker so that when she marries, she wouldn't have to adjust so much. Her brother wouldn't let her though. Always overprotective, her onii-chan insists that she was simply too young to be taught that yet. Although he _did _make it sound that she would always be forever too young to learn.

Her onii-chan.

She smiled as she touched his hair, reflecting on him. 

Her brother carried the burden of responsibility early in his life – to find food for them to eat. To be the pillar of strength for the two of them. Add to the fact that he was both a father and a mother to her, among being her big brother, her best friend, and her knight.

The only time that he could show his childish, boyish side was whenever he was with Tamao. He treated her like she was his mother, looking for in her the attention and affection he always craved since he was a child.

_My brother who grew up too fast,_ she smiled.

She turned her attention once more to the books she brought with her, but she couldn't concentrate. This time, she was thinking of another boy…Ren Tao, to be exact.

He was a perfect psychology specimen- the one any psychologist would want to open up. He was a person of many secrets, she knew that. For one, why would she find him badly beaten up in the forest? And his hands…they were calloused, but not normally. They were palms of someone who holds blades, like that of their blacksmith.

And his eyes…they were too closed and unreadable. Normally, she could see through people when she looks at them in the eyes. But somehow, Ren Tao had perfected the art of impeccable mask, for she couldn't very well say what was he feeling. But at least she was sure of one thing: he was easily irritable.

She sighed and rested her head against the tree. She would find out all of the answers she seek eventually. Deciphering Ren Tao was a challenge, but not a challenge she would back out on. But right now, she just wanted to rest.

**tsuzuku**  


	6. 5

There were a lot of unread emails in his inbox, most of them from the detective agency he works for, asking him whether he would still reconsider mixing his work with his vacation. There was also a lot of household chores to be done, and he still had to pick up the laundry.

But for the life of him, Lyserg Diethyl couldn't understand why he, a perfectly rational figure by decent standards, would opt to silently watch the stranger before him munch on the doughnuts delicately. The three and a half pounds of cerebral muscles within him was definitely dysfunctional.

No, there was something about John that intrigues him so. He acts too refined, too poised. In fact, there was an unexplainable aura of elegance that surrounds him. Definitely, John was lying when he said he was a thief. But then, if he wasn't a crook, what was he?

He froze when he noticed the small sprinkles of sugar on the corner of his mouth. He expected him to rub it with the back of his hand, the way he sees other men do. To his shock though, John used a table napkin to wipe it primly.

More suspicion flooded into him. Maybe he wasn't going to abandon his detective work totally for his vacation…

_Why won't Lyserg stop looking at me?_ wondered Jeanne as she finished her cup of coffee. She stole a quick look at her reflection on the glass window, and saw that her get-up was still alright.

"But then…" She frowned thoughtfully. Was he starting to doubt her identity?

She decided that she must go out and walk downtown. She needed another place to stay- she just couldn't risk revealing her identity after all the hard work she did in running away from Marco.

Lyserg watched as John stood up, not without his usual graceful way of rising from his seat, and started to clear the table. He then carried the plates and utensils towards the sink. The dowser then couldn't help but notice that beneath the shapeless outfit of John was an almost feminine-like body. Soft-looking, that was the adjective he was looking for. Not outrageously curvy, but certainly curvier than a typical male.

He frowned. There was something wrong in the scene, and slowly, he reached a hypothesis. Now all he had to do was to prove it.

Tamao marked a big X on the specific date of the current month's calendar. It was just a week before her thirteenth birthday…well, if you wouldn't count the two months to go before that actual week…and already she was looking forward to it. According to her board, she was going to meet her soulmate and man on that night, when the moon is full and stars are aplenty. She couldn't wait, for she herself was starting to have dreams about that special person. A silhouette, but somehow, it felt strangely familiar. Perhaps, because once upon a random lifetime, they had met already. She believed seriously in souls finding their matches in different lifetimes, that these souls are reborn over and over until one meets his or her destiny. And she, Tamamura Tamao, was determined to find her fate in _this _lifetime, _no matter what_.

She smiled. "Hai! And when I do find him, I will never ever let him go anymore." She sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen and tried to shut her eyes to imagine the mystery man in her usually prophetic dreams.

He was slightly taller than her, and he wasn't well-muscled. The shadow revealed the disarray of hair, almost reminding her of a certain person. No, scratch almost. It _did_ remind her of HIM, but HE had NO right taking up space in her daydream. Anyway, she thought she could see the shy smile on the mystery guy's face.

She stood in front of the shadow as snowflakes softly showered them. It was almost surreal, that she could hardly feel the icy cold sensation of the soft snow.

Her heart skipped a beat as he slowly turned to face her. After all these months of dreaming of her soulmate, will she finally be able to see him already?

"Tamao!" Horo's grinning face broke her train of thoughts. He was peering at her face curiously. "Hey, who hypnotized you? Snap out of it!"

"You!!!" she shrieked, feeling the homicidal urge rush into her adrenalin. She was so close to knowing who her soulmate was…so very close.

Horo raised a brow. "Wow, you look so enthusiastic to see me. I didn't know you miss me that much."

 Tamao shut her eyes and slowly counted to ten to calm herself. After all, she did care about his younger sister, and she didn't have the heart to deprive Pirika of a big brother so early in this stage of life. But it could still be plausible, depending on how Horo Horo handles her anger.

"I was thinking of my soulmate," she explained patiently, using the tone of voice she uses whenever he was begging to get the icing of the cake or have some of the batter for pancakes.

"Oh." Horo Horo was very much informed about his friend's fascination for that. "Oh, and so?"

"I was just starting to put together the image clues, and I can already see who is my soulmate! But then you came and RUINED my visualization!" she snapped.

"You can go and try to visualize him again. I'll be fine. The refrigerator will entertain me," said the Ainu, grinning.

"That's all you can say?!!" she cried. "I had been dreaming of being able to see my soul partner since ages ago and this was the first time that I was able to see him up close. But you had to go and ruin it by barging into the room without knocking!"

"So what's the big idea? You see a glimpse of your soulmate, and then what? Are you positive that he would make you happy?" Horo wanted to know. "What if this guy was a gay after all? Or a married person?"

The prophetess pouted. When soulmates were created, no one said anything about gender and civil status reliability. But of course, the ainu didn't need to know that. She stuck by her argument. "It won't dare go wrong with me," she said confidently. "I can feel it."

Horo still looked skeptical. "Oh, alright." He sauntered towards the refrigerator. "As for me, I'm contented with my beloved refrigerator. It responds to all my needs, and it doesn't talk too much. Ah, imagine life without a fully-stocked refrigerator. What a sad, sad existence."

Tamao sighed. "Your soulmate should be a cook. That's the only way for you to find a motivation to search for her."

He grinned. "I don't need a soulmate, nor do I desire to find her. Unlike you, I believe that if I am meant to be with one person, no matter how hard I try to run away from my destiny, the will of fate shall still prevail."

"A slacker's motto."

"Maybe, but an effective one, don't you agree?" He then brought out a shiny red fruit from his pocket and threw it at her. "Here. I was passing by a tree when I saw that, and I thought you might want it."

She had to smile. He may be not the most likable gentleman in the world, but he sure was very thoughtful, always bringing something for her when he comes here, flattering her at times when her morale needed it the most, and being sweet and caring, reminding him of a little boy basking in his mother's affection.

He gleefully took out the plate of leftover egg pie from the ref cheerfully. "Who needs a soulmate, when I've got you?"

Tamao laughed. "Thanks, Horo Horo."

Jeanne watched as Lyserg read what was written on her scribble pad.

"You're leaving?" he asked, frowning, as he put the pad back on the coffee table.

She nodded.

"Why, John?" he asked.

She picked the pad up and wrote something down quickly.

_It's boring here._

She didn't know if that sounded authentic enough for a renegade, but that was the only excuse she could think of in leaving this place.

He looked reluctant, but he nodded. "Very well, John. Take care, and if you ever encounter another problem, you can always go back to my unit. You're welcome here."

She nodded, then went on her way. Wherever she would go next, she honestly had no idea.

"John!" Lyserg got up and placed his green coat on her suddenly. "It's cold at night, so I hope this will help." He picked up some bills and placed them on her hand. "And here. Use these for your food."

She couldn't believe this- the things that he was doing for her. His eyes showed sincerity for voicing out his concerns, as if they had already known each other for long already.

And before she could stop herself, a whisper released itself from her lips.

"Merci." 

Ren was sweeping the yard grumpily as Pirika read some more of her books under the shade of the tree. He was busy devising plans of escaping so he could check already what happened to the Tao mansion. On his sister, for instance. Plus he had to let her know in some way that he was safe…well, marginally safe, considering the psychiatric threats to his sanity, courtesy of the blue-eyed ainu shrink.

The only good thing that his unplanned stay here brought about was that no one knew yet for sure whether he was alive or not, or where he was right now. He still had the advantage. And once he learns who that fool was who had orchestrated the assassination plot on him, he was going to take that person with him _personally_ to inferno.

"But I'm too optimistic," he grumbled. No matter how he looked at it, that "advantage" weighs so little compared to the psychological torture he was undergoing.

His eyes went back to the girl, and noticed that she fell asleep, head resting on the bark of the tree, knees tucked under her chin, compressed between her folded lap and chest was a particularly thick Psychology book.

His mind cried in joy. Now was his chance to make his escape!

But before he could move, the girl toppled sideward and hit the ground. Amazingly, she was still asleep.

The next thing he knew, he was walking towards her quietly, careful not to wake her up. He gathered her in his arms and tried to lay her down in a more comfortable position, all the while muttering why he didn't take his chance awhile ago and flee.

No, I'll go after this. I mean, I can't just let her lie down like that in such a difficult position. She might wake up with a stiff neck or something.

She gave a little moan and slumped forward, directly on his chest. He stifled a gasp, then kicked himself. It was just a tiny body contact! No need to get all so flustered.

Finally, he was able to lay her comfortably back on the tree again. He smiled triumphantly, then prepared to leave. 

He had just walked a few steps away from her when he instinctively turned around.

Pirika was still lying under the tree, fast asleep. Something gnawed his heart, and he went back to her side. He sat down beside her and groaned inaudibly.

_Hey, I still have a conscience. What if a wild animal comes and chances upon her still sleeping? I don't want to carry that in my conscience_, he rationalized. _But if I can have things my way, I'll leave her. But I owe her my life and this is my way of repaying her good deed and…_

_Damn, why am I thinking about things like that anyway? A real fighter must not be a coward and run away. I will wait for her brother so I can be sure she won't be animal food, and that's when I'll leave._

He smiled. That was the plan. He rested on the grass, yawning. "Bason?"

Immediately, his power spirit appeared. "Master Ren?" 

"I'm just going to nap. Look after the girl," he told his faithful power spirit.

"Yes, young master Ren."

So he lied down some feet away from her, and went to sleep.

**tsuzuku**


	7. 6

Ren woke up with a start when he felt someone was watching him. He sat up and found Pirika gazing at him, smiling.

Damn, did he fall so deeply asleep that he didn't notice someone's eyes on him? He was being careless already! What if it turned out to be someone with malicious intentions? He could have long been dead!

"Had a nice slumber, Sleeping Beauty?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"How long had you been looking at me, woman?" he asked, annoyed.

"Long enough to hear you moaning." She shrugged. "You were dreaming."

"H-Huh?" He vaguely remembered the feeling of drowning or something, but he couldn't really tell. Anyway, she had no right to know things that he wasn't telling. "I didn't," he said instead, determined to not let her score one over him.

"You did," she said matter-of-factly. "It was a REM sleep even."

Oh no, not another psycho term again, the boy thought.

"For your information, REM sleep is a recurrent stage of normal sleep that is characterized by distinctive patterns of brain waves, rapid movements of the eye under closed lids, and dreaming," she said. Ren thought she should have spoke in French, and he could have understood her better.

But since she put the verbal joust into medical grounds, he couldn't make a comeback, so he decided that he would yield a little.

"Fine, I did dream," he admitted. "I dreamt that I was so angry at you for dishing out our psychotic talks so I took a knife and stabbed you thirteen…no FOURTEEN times!" he said, smirking. "I then placed your gory remains in a sack and had it collected by a plane on a one-way trip to the North Pole."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Wow, I never would have thought you would be the one to dream that."

He was starting to get nervous with that smile. "W-What do you mean?" he asked, although unsure whether he really wanted to know the answer.

"Anger is an example of glorious release of human passion, something that is covered by libido, a.k.a. your favorite word," she said, smiling. "It means you feel some kind of uncontrollable passion when you see me, and because of that, you stabbed me. I take it that you lust after me?"

"WHAT?!" His heart sank when he realized what she meant by her interpretation of the "stabbing". Stabs of passion…bullshit.

"Do you want me to elaborate, Ren Tao? I can give you a review on sexual reproduction-"

"Shut the hell up!"

But apparently, the girl wasn't done yet. "You collected me in a sack, meaning, you intend to keep me. You had me sent to the North Pole because my presence disturbs you, and you are not strong enough for me," she finished with a flourish. "You want me so badly that you intend to fight that feeling, even if it kills you."

He couldn't believe how the tables were turned over. He got up, scowling. "I was lying."

"I don't think so," she said in a soft but lofty voice.

"I'm going to get started on the dinner," he said grumpily. Oh why oh why didn't he escape when he had the chance?

He tried to ignore the delighted laughter from the ainu girl.

"You talked!" Lyserg gaped at her. "H-How…"

She couldn't protest anymore. She tried to bypass his shoulders, but he held her back.

"Let's talk," he said firmly. "Literally, please."

She was forced to sit down as Lyserg crossed his legs and stared at her.

"Tell me who you really are, John, and what is your reason for deceiving me," he commanded, eyes on her.

She sighed and took off her bonnet. Down fell her silver locks, and she looked up at him expectantly. 

He didn't even looked surprised. "Jeanne-sama, right?"

She nodded slowly. "Have you known all along, Lyserg Diethyl-san?"

"No," he replied truthfully. "But your eyes gave me a clue."

"I'm sorry for leading you on, Diethyl-san," she said shamefully. "You have been so generous to me…"

"There must be a reason for your masquerade, Jeanne-sama," he said. "And if you would feel better, you can tell me about it. I can help you. I'm working on your case, and I'll be able to stop the people who are looking for you."

"Oh!" It didn't sound like a blackmail, but it still seemed like one. He was telling her that he was the only one who could help her.

"I'm sorry for sounding too harsh, but you really intrigued me," said Lyserg, smiling. "If you won't tell me, I will still help you."

"Ah!" Her eyes shook, then she looked down. "Thank you, Diethyl-san," she said softly. "Maybe I will tell you, when the right time comes."

"Good enough," he agreed. "For the meantime, you can live with me. No one would suspect that you are staying in the house of the person who's investigating your case."

"True," she agreed, feeling a rush of overwhelming gratitude.

"But we have a problem…you see, I have a housemate here…and he doesn't want women around…" Lyserg didn't know how to start explaining the circumstances. "H-He is a little weird…a doctor, actually…"

"No, please don't worry," she said quickly. "I will continue my masquerade."

"He will return from his trip within this week," he said. "So I hope you won't find it too hard to continue pretending…?"

"No trouble at all." She smiled at him gratefully and bowed again. "Thank you so much once more, Diethyl-san."

He nodded.

"Tamao has a soulmate?" Horo Horo was walking home already, but he still couldn't stop thinking about what his friend said. Whoever thought of the word _soulmate_ anyway? Now he was starting to get curious of his own soulmate too!

"I wonder if my soulmate even exists in _this_ lifetime," he said thoughtfully. "How unfair! Tamao's got omens on her mate and I don't!"

All his life, he had been contented with his everyday routine of eating, escaping his sister's training sessions, eating Tamao's cakes and pies, sparring with Yoh, and sleeping. Now he wanted to try something new. This whole soulmate thing was a novelty for him.

When he said that he didn't care whether he finds his soulmate awhile ago, it was half-truth only. Sure, he liked food, but it would be nice to fall in love with something that doesn't disappear after you eat it.

He grinned. "If Tamao learns what I'm thinking of, she'll start calling me perverted again…which will be pretty painful on my part… because it's true and the truth always hurts."

But still, he couldn't stop thinking about Tamao's own soulmate. He knew it was ill to think this, but he suddenly wished she won't find him yet, at least until he doesn't find his own soulmate.

Probably because Tamao was the only woman he knew that he could be affectionate with. If she finds another man before he finds someone to replace her position in his life, he would surely kill that man.

Selfish, but it was what he felt.

"Maybe I better ask Pirika about this whole soulmate thingie," he mused. "She seems to know a lot about those soul things."

He continued to walk home, this time humming happily. He now has a new mission in life: to find his soulmate before Tamao finds hers!

**tsuzuku**


End file.
